Device for using heat plastic binder tape with rotary folders



Oct. 29, 1935. P. L. ODONNELL I DEVICE FOR USING HEAT PLASTIC BINDERTAPE WITH ROTARY FOLDERS Filed May 15, 1929 F/ziZ O Donnell PatentedOct. 29, 1935 PATENT OFFICE DEVICE FOR USING HEAT PLASTIC BINDER TAPEWITH ROTARY FOLDERS Philip L. ODonnell, Norwood, Ohio Application May15, 1929, Serial No. 363,236

'7 Claims.

The present invention relates to edge taping ortape folding machinescommonly known as 'rotary folders which are used for folding apreviously sewed tape about the cut edges of leather articles such asshoe uppers. The invention has for its principal object the provision ofsimple means for use with rotary folders so as to adapt them to the useof heat plastic adhesive tape to the end that such machines may beoperated in a more cleanly fashion to avoid soiling and the necessityfor subsequent cleaning of work performed thereby and also to enablesuch machines to operate with greater effectiveness.

Another object is to provide a method of operation to apply preheatedheat plastic binding tape to material by means of a cold or non-heatedfolding machine.

Another object is to provide an effective localized heat applicator formachines of this and kindred types.

These and other objects are attained by the means and method describedherein and disclosed in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmental elevational view of a rotary folder havingembodied therein one form of the device of the invention.

Fig, 2 is .a longitudinal section of a heater of the preferred form ofthis invention.

Heretofore the binding of cut edges of leather such as shoe uppers wasefiected by sewing a longitudinal edge of a tape closely adjacent theedge of the material to be bound, then applying a liquid adhesive to thetape and folding it over the cut edge and adhesively securing it to thereverse face of the leather. The folding operation was performed by arotary folder. In such practice the folding mechanism of the machine andthe work guides thereof were greatly soiled with the cement which wastransferred thereby to the work so that much of the work had to becleaned. The mechanism of the folding machine employed herein issubstantiallythe same as that heretofore used but with the provision ofan added element which applies heat to the tape at the proper moment sothat the tape does not become tacky until it is ready to be folded on tothe face to which it must adhere.

Since the tape must be sewed to the leather before the folding orturning operation of the machine takes place, the several problemsresulting from the relation of materials have-not been capable of thesame solutions used in machines which apply tape adhesively to theleather without the preliminary sewing.

The present invention, however, has rendered the rotary folder adaptableto use with the socalled heat plastic adhesive tape by the provision ofmeans hereinafter described in detail.

The structure and operation of the rotary folder is generally understoodby those skilled in 5 the art so that, for the purposes of a clearunderstanding of the present invention, only a few structural detailsneed be mentioned. Referring to Fig. 1, a suitable base and frame 6carries a. power driven rotor I which has overlapping and 10 oppositelydriven disks 8 disposed around its periphery. The disks exert a wipingaction angularly across the relatively wide face of a driven roller 9.The roller has an upstanding shoulder or rib H). A guide block II has anangle way I2 15 provided therein extending tothe face of the roller 9 atthe rib ID. A yieldingly mounted guide wheel 13 angularly contacts theroller immediately adjacent the edge of the guide block and cooperateswith the rib H] ,as well, so that 20 when work with tape sewed theretois entered between the guide and roll and the wheel I3, the action ofthe parts will be that of folding the tape around the edge of thematerial to which it is sewed and pressing it on to the work with awiping and smoothing action. The tape is held in a substantially uprightposition against the vertical face of the guide block while the leatheror work to which it is attached is directed along the sloping face ofthe guide block on to the roller 9 where the disks perform the foldingoperation.

. In carrying out the invention means are provided and so positionedrelative to the usual operating parts of the machine as to soften theheat plastic adhesive on the tape just prior to the folding of the tapearound the edge of the work as it is being fed to the machine, so thatproperly preheated tape on the work is fed to an unheated or coldmachine.

The preferred form of heating the heat plastic 40 adhesive tape as it isbeing fed with the work into the folder will be best understood by thereference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing. This form of heater consistsbroadly of a tube or pipe M for connection with a source of air underpres- 45 sure (not shown), which is connected with a suitable heatingcylinder l5 through which compressed air passes and is heated fordischarge through a hot air tube l6. The tube IS in the presentinvention extends upwardly to a point above the rotor 1, then forwardlythrough a tube section I! and thence downwardly across the front of therotor in a tube section I8 which terminates in a suitable restrictedaperture l9 which may be conveniently provided by flattening the 68discharge end of tube section l8 so that it will discharge a fiatribbon-like blast of hot air. The discharge tube comprising portions l6,l1, and I8 may be of bendable metal so that the discharge end thereofmay be adjusted to direct a stream of hot air to exactly the desiredpoint. The section i8 may be held against accidental displacement by anysuitable means such as a support bracket 20 suitably secured to theframe 6 of the machine. The heating cylinder H) has at its rear end aremovable cap 2| into which the supply pipe l4 extends. This caplikewise has perforations 22 for receiving the conductors 23 which carrya supply of electricity to a cartridge type heating element 24. Theelement 24 is supported concentrically of the interior of the cylinderl5 by any suitable means, preferably by set screws 25. The forward endof the cylinder I5 is tapered as at 26 and discharges into the end oftube I6 which is screw threaded into it. A suitable metallic guard orenclosure indicated generally at 21 supports the forward and rear endsof the cylinder IS, the supply pipe I4 being threaded into the cap andextending through the wall of the guard 27 to support the rear end whilea practically similar construction supports the front end. A dead airinsulating space is pro- ,vided surrounding the cylinder l5 by enclosingsaid cylinder in a rectangular casing having walls I50. The housing 21has a suitable metallic screen 28 forming the major portions of itswalls to allow escape of heat radiated from the heating zone l5 and toprevent accidental contact of the hand of an operator with the casing.The guard housing 21 has an angle bracket 29 at its one end whichreceives a suitable screw or the like in a perforation 30 for mountingthe entire heating structure.

7 While an electricair heater is shown, it will be'understood that thisis a preferred form principally because an electric heating element canbe selected to give off a uniform heat without necessity for adjustment.It will be readily understood bythose versed in the art, however, that aflame heated coil in the air supply pipe may be substituted for theheating cylinder and resistance unit. The aperture l9 may be positionedso as to direct the heat on to the coated face of the tape in such wiseas to substantially avoid heating of the folding elements of themachine, and when positioned as shown, namely between the guide wheel I2and the plane of the discs, the

tape, sewed to the work will remain cold and non-tacky until it reachesa place where the operators fingers will never reach. The heat plasticadhesive requires but a small amount of heat to render it tacky and, bythe very nature of its preapplication to the tape, will not flow on tothe work and adjoining parts of the machine as does applied liquidcement. Thus all opportunity for soiling and smudging both machine partsand the work is obviated.

The operation of the device is as follows: A length of prepared tape issewed to the outer face of a shoe upper, or the like, with the edge ofthe work and the tape practically coincident, the tape extending overthe outer face of the leather. The exposed face of the tape in thisposition is the one carrying the dry, non-tacky heat plastic adhesive.The cartridge type heating element is connected with a suitable sourceof electricity and compressed air is directed through pipe l4 into thecylinder l5 where it passes around all sides of the surface of theheating element where it becomes. heated to the proper temperature andis then directed through the pipes l6, l1, and I8 to the machineimmediately adjacent the discs 8 and the guide block II. The outer faceof the leather is then passed over the sloping face of the guide blockand on to the face of roller 9. The 6 tape is caused to turn upon itselfand stand substantially vertically against the vertical face of theguide block. The work is entered by lowering the guide block and raisingthe guide wheel and its associated parts l2, both of which are 10yieldingly held in positions shown. With the leather between the guideblock and guide wheel and with the several parts rotating as shown bythe arrows, the leather is fed across roller 9 and all parts of amarginal edge portion are submit- 15 ted to a wiping and smoothingaction of the successive discs 8. The adhesive substance is on the faceof the tape extending toward the left end looking at the device as inFig. 1. The localized heat blast form nozzle l9 renders the 20 adhesivetacky just prior to the folding of the tape over on to the reverse orupper face of the work so that immediately thereafter the tacky face issmoothed and pressed on to the reverse face of the leather. As is wellunderstood by 25 those conversant with machines of this type, theimmediate edge portion of the tape and leather rides along the righthand side or rib In so that no compression takes place directly upon thestitched portion, that portion being free to per- 0 mit the tape to bepressed and wiped smoothly and uniformly.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination a rotary folder comprising a roller, a guide block, aguide wheel cooperat- 35 ing with the block and roller, folding discscooperating with the roller, and means for applying localized heat tomaterial as it passes over the guide block to the roller and foldingdiscs.

2. In combination a rotary folder mechanism 40. comprising a guide, aroller and foldingv discs operating over the roller, a hot air tubehaving a discharge end adjacent said guide and means for supplying hotair under pressure to said tube.

3. In combination a rotary folding machine 46 operative to operate uponmaterial having tape secured at its edge, and means for directing hotair under pressure to such tape at a point immediately adjacent thefolding mechanism of said machine.

4. In a rotary folding machine the combination of cooperative foldingmeans, a guide wheel and a guide block for directing the edge of a pieceof material with tape secured to the edge thereof to said folding meansand means for applying 55. heat to said tape as it passes over saidguide block.

5. In a French folding machine the combination of a work supportingroller, a work retaining roller cooperating therewith, a series ofrotary 0 discs operating in succession for folding an edge of the workand means to direct a heated gaseous blast to a point immediatelyadjacent the work retaining roller and said discs.

6. In a machine for folding the edge of a heat 05- plastic binding stripstitched to a piece of material, the combination of a rotatable worksupport, having a peripheral rib, a driven presser roll moving relativeto said work support. folding means carried by said presser roll foroperation 70 on the binding strip and means directing a heated gaseousblast to the strip immediately adjacent the point of operation thereonby the folding means.

7. In a machine for folding the edge of a; heat 7.5.

a. heated gaseous blast to the strip whereby the guide means and thepresser roll and the machine elements remain practically unheated.

PHILIP L. O'DONNEIL.

strip is rendered tacky as it passes between the

